Lesson 1: Introduction – What We Need to Know

What We Need to Know About Scripture All Scripture is given by God to man (2 Tim. 3:16-17) Scripture supplies man with ALL he needs to serve God (2 Pet. 1:3) Christ (not man) has all authority in religious matters (Mt. 28:18) Man must have Christ’s authority for all he says & does (Col. 3:17) All will be judged by Christ for how they have lived (2 Cor. 5:10) Christ’s Word will be the standard of judgment (John 12:48) Man has no right to add to or take from God’s Word (Rv. 22:18-19) Man has no right to change God’s Word in any way (Gal. 1:6-9) Man has no right to go beyond God’s Word in thought, speech or action (1 Cor. 4:6; 1 Pet. 4:11; 2 John 9) Only those who do God’s will shall enter into heaven (Mt. 7:21-23)

What We Need to Know from Scripture About the CHURCH of the Bible The church was planned by God (Eph. 3:10-11) The church was prophesied in the O.T. (Isa. 2:2-4; Dan. 2:44) The church was promised by Jesus (Matt. 16:18-19) The church was purchased by Jesus (Acts 20:28) The church was established in Acts 2 by the power of the Holy Spirit (Mark 9:1; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4) In the New Testament, there was only one church (Eph. 4:4; 1:22-23; cf. John 17:20-21), of which one must be a member to go to heaven (Eph. 5:23, 27; Heb. 12:23) The one true church is patterned after and governed by the authoritative Word of God (1 Tim. 3:15; Col. 3:17) God instructs the church to “all speak the same thing,” to have “no divisions” and to “be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10)

What We Need to Know from Scripture About the CHURCH of the Bible Denominationalism in Any Form (and Every Form) DOES NOT EQUAL New Testament Christianity! The church of the Bible was/is God’s idea (not man’s). Denominationalism was/is man’s idea (not God’s).

What We Need to Know from Scripture About DENOMINATIONALISM God warned the first-century church of imminent danger. – Acts 20:28-31 – 1 Timothy 4:1-2 – 2 Timothy 4:1-5 God pleaded with the first-century church to not depart. – 1 Corinthians 1:10 – Revelation 2:10 – Hebrews 3:12-14 – Jude 3 God condemns denominationalism. – 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 3:1-4 – John 17:20-21 – Romans 16:17-18

What We Need to Know from Scripture About THE CHURCH TODAY When Christ established His church, He promised it would never be destroyed and would stand forever (Dan. 2:44; Matt. 16:18-19) Therefore, the Lord’s church, having been established nearly 2,000 years ago in Acts 2, still exists on earth today. The Lord only has one church (Eph. 4:4), as Jesus is the King of only one kingdom (John 18:36-37) In His Word, the Lord has given us a pattern for His church, by which we can plant new congregations (1 Cor. 3:5-11; 4:17) and be able to identify His true church today (2 Tim. 1:13; Heb. 8:5)

Disclaimer: What This Class Is NOT Intended to Do Not to be unkind Not to be unkind Not to present a haughty, un-Christlike spirit Not to present a haughty, un-Christlike spirit Not to attack Community Churches (in general) Not to attack Community Churches (in general) Not to attack a particular Community Church Not to attack a particular Community Church Not to treat them unjustly in any way Not to treat them unjustly in any way Not to misrepresent them in any way Not to misrepresent them in any way Not to ridicule or belittle any person or organization Not to ridicule or belittle any person or organization Not to say, “We’re so much better than you” Not to say, “We’re so much better than you”

Disclaimer: What This Class IS Intended to Do To follow the soul-saving instructions of the Lord: – “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God…” (1 John 4:1). – “ Test all things” (1 Thess. 5:21) To follow the highly-praised example of the Bereans: – “…They received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

Disclaimer: What This Class IS Intended to Do To fairly examine the teachings of a popular religious movement in light of the teachings of Scripture, by presenting their teachings in their own words and comparing them with God’s teachings in His own Words – Psa. 119:105, 130; John 3:19-21; 2 Cor. 4:4-6 – Eph. 5:13; 2 Pet. 1:19 To examine whether we are in “the faith”/“the truth” (2 Cor. 13:5-7), as there is only “one faith” (Eph. 4:4-6) To sharpen our knowledge, inform our hearts and fortify our faith in the faith of the gospel (2 Pet. 3:15; Jude 3; Prov. 3:5-6)